In a move that surprised some of the Cripple Creek RE-1 School District school board members, board President Karen Casey-Svetich turned in her resignation effective immediately prior to the school board's Feb. 25 regular meeting. Casey-Svetich is also the executive director of the Community Partnership Family Resource Center in Divide.

She was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy in 2008. Her term would have ended at the November election. In her letter to the board she states:

“Over the past several months I have devoted much thought to prioritizing my commitments. One of the outcomes of that process is deciding to step away from my work on the school board. Initially I thought that I would see my term through 2013, but have since decided to leave my role earlier and submit my resignation to be effective immediately.”

The district will advertise to find someone willing to serve out the term. Two other seats will be on the November ballot: Brent Kennedy is term limited and appointee Claudia Alonzo's seat will also be open for election. Two other board members are also appointees, Nancy Byers and Don Daniel.

Because the district's regulations are unclear, RE-1 Superintendent Sue Holmes will consult the district's lawyer on whether the appointees can fill out the original terms they were appointed to or if there will have to be new elections to fill those seats. If it's the latter, the district could find itself with an entirely new board after the election. She should have the answers by the next board meeting on March 21.

The board talked about two other questions that might be added to the November ballot: the elimination or extension of term limits and “undistricting,” erasing the director boundaries and electing all board members “at-large.”

With Casey-Svetich's resignation, the board was also reconfigured. Byers is now president, Kennedy is vice president and Daniel is treasurer. Alonzo remains secretary.

When the Cripple Creek RE-1 School District's Mountain Alternative High School moved out of its mobile home and into the Cripple Creek-Victor High School building, it created an opportunity for Cripple Creek Parks and Recreation to expand one of its programs.

Holmes explained that parks and recreation had been using the Cresson Elementary School for its Kids Rock University programs after school and on Fridays.

“That was causing a strain on the school's resources,” she said. “There were problems with storage and we were providing heating, lights and custodial services. Parks and rec will pay for utilities and custodial services in its new space. They have a little work to do and they have to get state licensing; the building wasn't originally set up for smaller kids. This will give them more security and an opportunity to realize their vision for this (Kids Rock) program.”

The board also discussed the district's annual community dinner on April 5 at the Cripple Creek Heritage Center. The dinner is an opportunity for the district and the community it serves to build connections.